Technology

Technology and training are an essential part of the work we do.

So how do we make sure your support creates sustainable solutions for accessing clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene?

We always look for technology that’s easy to transport, even to the world’s most remote communities. It has to be simple to maintain and made from materials that are readily available in local markets, along with any spare parts.

Our technical solutions won’t involve complex maintenance or expensive components or chemicals. And with the training we provide, they’ll be easy for families and communities to use and maintain, long after our partners have completed their work.

Nine technologies we love

WaterAid/Jordi Ruiz Cirera1. The rope pump: as Jose in Nicaragua shows, these pumps are brilliantly simple and can be made from recycled bicycle wheels, scrap metal or plastic.

WaterAid/Ernest Randriarimalala2. The gravity flow system: by tapping into a spring, our partners get water to flow downhill into storage tanks which feed tap stands - like this one used by Clement and his son Herve in Madagascar.

WaterAid/Chileshe Chanda3. The borehole drilling rig: brilliant if the rock is hard or water is at deeper depths. This rig in Zambia will pump water to the surface to be stored in large tanks, then piped to nearby taps.

WaterAid/Eliza Deacon4. The Gulper: what makes the Gulper great? It’s helping people like Julius in Tanzania solve one of the biggest challenges in crowded urban environments: emptying toilet pits when they get full.

WaterAid/Nyani Quarmyne/ Panos5. The VIP (Ventilated Improved Pit) latrine: with locally available materials and training, these are the kind of toilets communities like Fati and Safiatou’s in Burkina Faso can build and maintain.

WaterAid/Jordi Ruiz Cirera6. The rainwater harvesting jar: simple, cheap and effective, collecting rainwater can create a lasting supply of clean water for families like Dionicia’s in Nicaragua, no matter the season.

WaterAid/Behailu Shiferaw7. The hand-dug well: these are the traditional – and still the most common – method of reaching groundwater in rural communities like this one in Ethiopia.

WaterAid/Behailu Shiferaw8. The composting latrine: a safe place to go to the toilet – and free fertiliser! The composting latrine really does have a huge impact, as Rongin has been discovering in Rwanda.

WaterAid/Alexia Webster9. The hand pump: the humble hand pump can be a big improvement on using a bucket and rope to collect water from a well, as Karim and Howa demonstrate in Malawi.

Say hello to the Handypod

With no decent toilets, some communities in Cambodia are forced to relieve themselves in the same waterways used for washing and swimming. One solution? The Handypod: a basic water purifying system that looks like a floating garden.